Manimegalai is an Indian television presenter, video jockey and YouTuber who works in Tamil television. She started on Sun Music in December 2009 at the age of 17, spent nine years with Sun Network, and moved to Star Vijay in 2019, where she became one of the most popular faces of the comedy cooking show Cooku with Comali, first as a comali and later as an anchor.
She left Cooku with Comali during its fifth season in September 2024 and joined Zee Tamil the following year, co-hosting Dance Jodi Dance Reloaded season 3 and hosting the reality show Single Pasanga. With her husband, Hussain, she runs the YouTube channel Hussain Manimegalai, which has more than two million subscribers.
Quick facts
Name | Manimegalai, known as VJ Manimegalai |
Born | Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu |
Education | MBA in HR and Finance, SRM University, Vadapalani campus, Chennai |
Occupation | Television presenter, video jockey, YouTuber |
Years active | 2009 to present |
Debut | Super Hits, Sun Music, 30 December 2009 |
Channels | Sun Music and Sun TV (2009 to 2019), Star Vijay (2019 to 2024), Zee Tamil (2025 onwards) |
Known for | Cooku with Comali, Sun Music live shows, Dance Jodi Dance Reloaded, Single Pasanga |
YouTube | Hussain Manimegalai, started 4 June 2020 |
Spouse | Hussain (married 2017) |
Early life and education
Manimegalai was born in Tiruppur district. She studied in Coimbatore until class 3, after which the family moved to Chennai, where she finished school. She went on to complete an MBA in HR and Finance at SRM University's Vadapalani campus. She was still in college when she began working in television.
Career
Sun Music and Sun Network (2009 to 2019)
She made her debut as a video jockey on Sun Music on 30 December 2009, aged 17, presenting the show Super Hits. Over the next nine years she fronted a long list of live and music shows on the channel, among them Vanakkam Sunmusic, Isaiyodu Vilaiyadu, Freeyah Vidu, Franka Sollata and Black.
Celebrity interviews raised her profile further. For Kollywood Diaries she interviewed Kamal Haasan when she was 21, which she has described as a defining moment in her career. In 2016 she received a Best Anchor award from the World Human Integration Council.
She also became a regular host of film events. The first audio launch she hosted was for Tik Tik Tik in January 2018, and she compered the success meet of '96.
Move to Star Vijay (2019)
In January 2019 she left Sun Network and joined Star Vijay to take part in the couples' reality show Mr and Mrs Chinnathirai with her husband. The pair finished as second runners-up. She then hosted festival specials and other shows for the channel and took part in its comedy debate specials as a speaker.
Director Praveen Bennet offered her the lead role of Venba in the serial Bharathi Kannamma. She turned it down, but later made a one-episode guest appearance at his request.
Cooku with Comali (2019 to 2024)
Cooku with Comali began on Star Vijay on 16 November 2019, and Manimegalai was part of it from the start. She was a comali, one of the comic sidekicks paired with the celebrity cooks, for the first three seasons and for part of the fourth. During season 4 in 2023 she stepped down as a comali and returned as an anchor, and she anchored season 5 alongside Rakshan when it started on 27 April 2024.
On 14 September 2024, about two weeks before the season 5 finale, she announced on Instagram that she was no longer part of the show.
Zee Tamil (2025 onwards)
Manimegalai returned to television in 2025 on Zee Tamil. She co-hosted the third season of the dance show Dance Jodi Dance Reloaded with RJ Vijay, with Sneha, Baba Bhaskar and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar as judges. It ran from 1 March to 20 July 2025 and was won by Nithin and Ditya Bhande.
She then hosted Single Pasanga, a reality show in which ten social media influencers competed in tasks, with Alya Manasa among the judges. It aired from 10 August to 21 December 2025 and was won by Thangapandian. In February 2026 she appeared as a special anchor for one episode of the celebrity couples' show Killadi Jodis.
YouTube
She and Hussain started the YouTube channel Hussain Manimegalai on 4 June 2020. The channel passed one million subscribers within a year and now has more than two million. It won them Best Digital Content Creator at the Behindwoods Gold Icon Awards and Entertaining Star Couple at the Blacksheep Awards in 2021.
Television shows
Years | Show | Role | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
2010–2011 | Super Hits | Host (debut) | Sun Music |
2011 | Vazhthalam Vanga | Host | Sun Music |
2012–2013 | Vettipechu | Host | Sun Music |
2012–2014 | Isaiyodu Vilaiyadu | Host | Sun Music |
2013–2014 | Vanakkam Sunmusic | Host, morning show | Sun Music |
2014 | Galatta Kudumbam | Host | Sun TV |
2014–2017 | Pudhu Padam Epdi Iruku | Host | Sun Music |
2015 | Black | Host | Sun Music |
2015 | Franka Sollata | Host | Sun Music |
2016–2017 | Cinema Special | Interviewer | Sun News |
2016–2018 | Freeyah Vidu | Host | Sun Music |
2018 | Semma Morning | Host, morning show | Sun Music |
2019 | Mr and Mrs Chinnathirai | Contestant with Hussain; second runners-up | Star Vijay |
2019–2020 | Cooku with Comali season 1 | Comali | Star Vijay |
2020 | Bharathi Kannamma | Guest, one episode | Star Vijay |
2020–2021 | Cooku with Comali season 2 | Comali | Star Vijay |
2021 | Kadhale Kadhale | Participant with Hussain | Star Vijay |
2022 | Cooku with Comali season 3 | Comali | Star Vijay |
2023 | Cooku with Comali season 4 | Comali, then anchor | Star Vijay |
2024 | Cooku with Comali season 5 | Anchor; left in September | Star Vijay |
2025 | Dance Jodi Dance Reloaded season 3 | Co-host, with RJ Vijay | Zee Tamil |
2025 | Single Pasanga | Host | Zee Tamil |
2026 | Killadi Jodis | Special anchor, one episode | Zee Tamil |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
2016 | World Human Integration Council | Best Anchor | Won |
2018 | Alegria Awards | Best Anchor | Won |
2021 | Blacksheep Awards | Entertaining Star Couple, with Hussain | Won |
2021 | Behindwoods Gold Icon Awards | Best Digital Content Creator, with Hussain | Won |
2021 | Vijay Television Awards | Favourite Comedian (Non-fiction) | Nominated |
2022 | Vijay Television Awards | Best Anchor (Female) | Nominated |
2024 | Behindwoods Gold Icons | Most Popular Person on Reality Television | Won |
Personal life
Manimegalai married Hussain, a choreographer, in 2017. They have appeared together on Mr and Mrs Chinnathirai and Kadhale Kadhale and run their YouTube channel jointly.
FAQ
Is Manimegalai still in Cooku with Comali?
No. She announced on 14 September 2024, during season 5, that she was no longer part of the show.
Which channel is Manimegalai on now?
Zee Tamil. She co-hosted Dance Jodi Dance Reloaded season 3 and hosted Single Pasanga in 2025, and appeared on Killadi Jodis in February 2026.
When did Manimegalai start her career?
On 30 December 2009, aged 17, as a VJ on Sun Music's Super Hits.
Who is Manimegalai's husband?
Hussain, a choreographer. They married in 2017 and run the YouTube channel Hussain Manimegalai together.
What did Manimegalai study?
She has an MBA in HR and Finance from SRM University's Vadapalani campus in Chennai.
Was Manimegalai offered a role in Bharathi Kannamma?
Yes. She was offered the lead role of Venba and declined it, but later made a one-episode guest appearance.
